


Sick Day

by Halvwyn



Series: Life of the Party Ficlets and Fics [7]
Category: Life of the Party D&D (Web Series)
Genre: Caretaking, Established Relationship, Jocelyn is mom friend incarnate, M/M, Married Couple, Married Life, Pet Names, Post-Canon, Sick Character, Sickfic, lack of self-care, mom friend, soft, stubborn Renard, terms of endearment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:20:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23408929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Halvwyn/pseuds/Halvwyn
Summary: Vanden sighed, checking his watch for what was apparently the third time in ten minutes. Leaning back in his seat he brought a hand to his tie, loosening the fabric as subtly as possible. His skin was prickling, hypersensitive and uncomfortably damp, and the feeling had only worsened as the day progressed.
Relationships: Cassian/Renard (Life of the Party), Renard & Jocelyn (Life of the Party)
Series: Life of the Party Ficlets and Fics [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1681585
Comments: 4
Kudos: 29





	Sick Day

**Author's Note:**

> I think I might have a problem. 7 ficlets in like 2 days.  
> A much lighter plot than Deja Vu, though, so consider this the sorbet/palette cleanser!  
> I'm v soft for sick fics, and even softer for this ship.  
> Vanden may be OOC, but I, too, am 0% myself when fevered  
> The general setting of this ficlet was inspired by a work of Vibes of the Party!!

Vanden sighed, checking his watch for what was apparently the third time in ten minutes. Leaning back in his seat he brought a hand to his tie, loosening the fabric as subtly as possible. His skin was prickling, hypersensitive and uncomfortably damp, and the feeling had only worsened as the day progressed. It was nearing lunchtime, he reminded himself as he forced his attention back to the briefing just in time for his advisor to give him a concerned glance.

“Your majesty?”

Vanden perked up slightly at his title, eyes landing on the elf across the table from him, “Apologies, I must have drifted off,” he mumbled as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table and his chin on tented fingers, “I’m listening, what was your question?”

“The apartments in the West wing of the palace. Do you agree that they would be adequate for the governor of Shadebourne and their family?” 

“I trust your judgment completely,” he assured, and the briefing carried on as monotonously as it had before. Despite his best efforts, Vanden once more drifted off from the conversations being had around him, instead focusing on the beginnings of a headache appearing between his temples.  _ Because this morning just had to get worse,  _ Vanden mused humorlessly, resting his forehead onto one hand.

He startled as a gentle hand came down to rest on his shoulder, looking up to realize that the table was no longer talking, all eyes on him as Jocelyn looked down from beside his chair in concern. “I think you should head back to your rooms, Vanden,” she murmured. A motherly authority laced in her words despite the low volume, and Vanden found himself nodding in agreement.With a soft sigh, he pushed his chair away from the table. Standing to leave, he swayed slightly, bringing his hand back to his head as the world came back to rights.

Taking a steadying breath, he turned to the table full of people watching on with varying degrees of confusion and concern. “Have my schedule cleared for this afternoon. I’ll be in my rooms should anything urgent arise,” he requested before making his way out the door and back towards his living quarters, Jocelyn walking in-step with him.

“You look awful,” she commented as they slowly made their way through the hallways of the Silver Fortress, earning a half-hearted snort from the man.

“You certainly know how to make someone feel appreciated,” he retorted after a long moment, most of his attention spent on making it back to his room and, more importantly, bed.

“Well, your sense of humor is intact at least,” she mused, “Honestly, though, I don’t know how Cassian let you leave at all this morning.”

Vanden shrugged weakly, “He was up working on his newest inspiration last night, I don’t think I saw him longer than telling him I would see him at lunch when I left this morning.”

Nodding in understanding, Jocelyn remained quiet, carefully watching her charge as they finally approached the doors to the royal suite. She entered first, calling out as she did so, “Cassian, come collect your husband.” Without waiting for an answer, the aasimar ushered Vanden into his rooms, earning an eye roll for her trouble.

They heard Cassian before they saw him, “What did he do this time?” he questioned, coming out of his studio before taking in the sight in front of him with a sigh. “I see.” 

Shaking his head as he approached, Cassian flashed Jocelyn a grateful smile, “Thank you, Captain D’Fabron,” he murmured, pulling Vanden into a loose embrace, arms around the man’s waist as Vanden pressed his forehead into the crook of Cassian’s shoulder, skin disconcertingly hot. 

“We’ve known each other far too long for such formalities, Cassian,” she chided with a smile, “Do you have him taken care of?”

“I should certainly hope so.”

“ ‘M standing right here, you know,” Vanden mumbled from his place leaning into Cassian, earning a gentle kiss to his temple.

Sharing an amused smile with Cassian, Jocelyn promptly excused herself, shutting the doors to their suite behind her. “Come now, you oaf, let’s get you into a bath. I can tell your burning up just from looking at you.”

Vanden grumbled something unintelligible in response, voice argumentative but words incomprehensible as Cassian led him by the hand towards their bathroom. Pushing a glass of water into his husband’s hands, Cassian went through the motions of drawing a cool bath with ease. “You’d better have that glass empty by the time I’m finished with this, Vanden.”

“Or what?” he scoffed weakly, one hand holding the now half-full water glass while his free hand worked at his tie, eager to have the offending garment off. 

Cassian cast a raised eyebrow over his shoulder, “Or I’ll fill this tub with ice instead of just water, now drink.”

To Cassian’s great amusement, no other arguments were made by Vanden, the glass empty and on the sink-side counter by the time the bath was drawn. Getting his husband undressed and into the bath, however proved a much greater challenge. “Vanden, you’re making this  _ far  _ more difficult than it has to be,” he scolded with a roll of his eyes from where he leaned against the sink.

“I’m a grown man. I can unbutton my own damn shirt, Cas.” Despite his words, however, it was becoming increasingly evident that Vanden could not, in fact, unbutton his own shirt. After another minute of fever-dazed struggling, the man put his hands up in surrender, allowing Cassian to step in with a smug “I told you so”.

Vanden hissed as he slid into the bath, clammy skin meeting the cool water far quicker than he would have liked. “This is what you get for working yourself sick, you know,” Cassian murmured as he perched on the edge of tub, wetting and rubbing soap into Vanden’s hair, “No work will be done if you run yourself into an early grave.” Eyes closed at Cassian’s ministrations, Vanden merely hummed in response. 

“You’re admitting I’m right without even an attempt at an argument? You must be worse off than I thought,” Cassian teased, earning a half hearted splash in his direction. Ignoring the retaliation, he rinsed out Vanden’s hair before bending forward to press his lips to his forehead.

“You’re definitely cooler than you were when Jocelyn dragged you in, but that doesn’t say much,” he mused.

Vanden leaned back against the wall of the tub, “What wonderful bedside manner you have,” he mumbled, eyes still closed, “Maybe you should give up tailoring are take up nursing.”

“Humor, hah. Keep that up and you might  _ actually _ be funny one day,” Cassian retorted, voice warm despite the barb, and Vanden chuckled softly. 

The conversation lulled into a comfortable silence, Cassian leaving long enough to get a book as Vanden half-dozed in the tub. It wasn’t until the first soft snore filled room, that Cassian put his book down and gently nudged his husband’s shoulder. “Up you get,  _ Caro. _ ” he murmured into Vanden’s ear, continuing to poke and prod until the man roused fully.

It wasn’t long after that the pair tumbled into bed, Vanden immediately burrowing into the covers in time for Cassian to force another glass of water into his hands. “Drink, then sleep.” The ginger rolled his eyes, but did as he was told, eyes beginning to clear for the first time since he’d left the meeting.

Vanden pushed himself upright at the thought of the briefing, frowning in thought, “What time is it? If it’s early enough, maybe I can-” 

“ _ No, _ ” Cassian interrupted, voice firm, “You are  _ resting _ right now, Vanden. I’ve been through this lecture once today, and I don’t like having to repeat myself.”

“But, Cas-”

“ _ No. _ ” 

Sighing in defeat, Vanden let himself flop backwards, head cradled by pillows as he grabbed hold of Cassian’s shirt, pulling him down with him, “Fine. But if I’m stuck in bed, you’re stuck with me.” 

Cassian huffed a laugh before leaning forward to capture Vanden’s lips in a gentle kiss, drawing away to press another to his forehead before settling down beside him. “I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be.”


End file.
